Silhouette
missing scene from Between Burroughs
by ariviand
Disclaimer: Both characters depicted in this ficlet are from The Mortal Instruments, and belong solely to Cassandra Clare.
Warning: This is an M-rated read. M for mature material, M for Malec, M for mmmmgoodness. You were warned. Read at your own risk.
"Where's your loofa?" Magnus asked, his face upturned to the water.
"My what?" Alec paused, standing stiff and awkward a foot from the closed curtain.
"That ruffled accessory on a rope you lather body wash with?"
"Umm."
"You don't have one?" Magnus's silhouette stilled, the shadow of his hands cupped beneath the water.
"No? I just use my hands."
There was a scoffing sound behind the curtain and Magnus continued rinsing the water from his hair, or whatever it is he was doing. "Of course you do."
Alec frowned, taking that comment as an insult. But Alec thought it was more practical, using your hands to wash rather than buying...unnecessary things on ropes. That was something girls gave each other as presents, useless toiletries that would probably remain in the shrink wrap.
Alec only kept things he absolutely needed, which is exactly why his bedroom and bathroom were so sparse and impersonal - not that he expected the warlock to understand, with his cosmetic jars and overflowing closet. Magnus's bathroom was full of so many colorful bottles Alec thought he needed an upgrade, just to have a bathroom large enough to accommodate his things. Magnus would probably agree. He had said once that apartments in Brooklyn were hideously overpriced, and the bathrooms and kitchens were practically broom closets.
The bathrooms within the Institute weren't much bigger than that, which is why Alec felt a little trapped. There really was nowhere to go. One real step away from the door and he'd be climbing into the shower. Alec almost had to arch away just to keep his distance. The shower curtain billowed from the slight breeze created by the showering water, and he could hear everything from the other side, even Magnus's breathing.
"But feel free to lather up and put your hands on me."
Alec blinked, lifting his chin. He wasn't sure he'd heard correctly - that is, that Magnus had actually spoken. The room was so quiet. And then he imagined Magnus said...that.
But then Magnus chuckled again, a teasing, raspy sound, and Alec realized it wasn't his imagination.
He was so awkward at this. It was ridiculous. Why did he ever think that he even remotely suited a glittery warlock with hundreds of years of experience with men and women, someone who had absolutely no qualms about stripping in front of his boyfriend and walking into the shower in wait for him, who had probably showered with more people than Alec could count on his fingers and toes - not that Alec really wanted to know the truth of that. It probably wouldn't make him feel any better, or boost his confidence.
On the other hand, he was a shadowhunter. Alec was specially trained to square off with the most vicious demons imaginable, monsters with gnashing teeth and frightful eyes and every kind of physical deformity. They were oversized, unnaturally fast, and reeked of death and the hellish dimensions they hailed from. If Alec could square off against something like that without turning and running, if he could raise his blade and keep from recoiling, why then was he hesitating when he was faced with Magnus?
Why was he? Hadn't they just spent a majority of the night kissing and clinging to one another with abandon? The door to Alec's bedroom was broken, the window to the street shattered. Anyone could have heard. Anyone could have walked in at any time, and Alec wasn't concerned. Now they were alone. It was just Alec and Magnus and a closed, locked door, the pounding water bound to drown out any soft noise they might make if someone was listening on the other side of the wall.
The thought made Alec blush. But it was also fortifying.
There was nothing to be afraid of. Lingering outside of the shower was just self-punishment and self-doubt. Alec's skin prickled with gooseflesh, protesting to the cooler air as the humidity teased his arms and legs and slithered down his back.
Taking a deep breath in, Alec reached out, letting his fingers brush the shower curtain. A small retraction of his wrist and the curtain gave, sliding across the metal rings, giving him enough room to step inside. He steeled himself for the first meeting, getting a glimpse of bare tile and moisture beading along the wall.
Alec stepped over the tub carefully until both feet were firmly planted. He let the shower curtain fall back into place behind him.
"Close the curtain all the way," Magnus murmured, glancing over one shoulder and away again. It was enough to make Alec shiver, without feeling too self-conscious. The warlock's eyes had peeked only briefly before withdrawing from Alec's body. "You'll let all the warmth out," Magnus added, tipping his head back.
Mesmerized by the view, Alec hesitated to respond to his request. He was staring at Magnus's naked back, the way the water beaded behind his shoulders and trailed down the slope of his spine, the way the ends of his hair tickled the dip between his shoulder blades, flattening out. And beneath the fall of Magnus's wet hair, there was soft, lightly tanned skin uninterrupted all the way down...
Swallowing, Alec reached out again, blindly groping for the material. He mechanically jerked the shower curtain the rest of the way closed, sealing the humidity inside. He could immediately feel the difference, when the cooler air was blocked off from his left side.
Alec stood back almost pressed against the shower wall, in the same way he had hugged the door, only now he wasn't watching Magnus's silhouette maneuver behind a translucent shower curtain. There was nothing but air and a brief space between them. The warmth coming off the water formed a steamy mist between their bodies, and Alec felt compelled to step closer to it.
There was so much more for his eyes to absorb, now that Magnus wasn't just a shadow. Alec focused on the warlock's bright nails as they slid through his hair, disappearing at the roots and reappearing at the ends, cupping the nape of his own neck, letting the water run through the parted strands.
Suddenly, Magnus turned around, the spray of the water claiming the back of his head and trailing down his shoulders. Alec could feel a few fly-away drops of water ricocheting off his boyfriend's back in his direction.
Alec froze as Magnus stared back at him, his green-gold eyes intense.
The shadowhunter wished he had the barrier of the shower curtain again, that he could hide behind a vague silhouette, instead of standing naked beneath that stare.